Robert’s Burson Soloist 3X GT with HiFiMAN Susvara and ZMF Caldera

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Sales Burson
June 10, 2024

Post Info

Feedbacks - Soloist GT3 | GT4
Burson 3XP, Burson Soloist 3X GT, Focal Stellia, HiFiMAN Susvara, WiiM Pro, ZMF Caldera

Just getting started!

The System

Listening with

HiFiMAN Susvara · Headphones: open-back, planar magnetic, circumaural

Impedance: 60 Ω
Sensitivity: 83 dB (reference not stated by HiFiMAN)
Frequency response: 6 Hz – 75 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: not published (HiFiMAN spec page lists no connector)
Other: weight 450 g

^[1]

ZMF Caldera · Headphones: closed-back, planar magnetic (CAMS, ADS damping), circumaural

Impedance: 60 Ω
Sensitivity: ~94 dB/mW (approx., “~” as published)
Frequency response: not published
Plugs / cables supplied: not published (ZMF lists no connector type)

^[2]

Focal Stellia · Headphones: closed-back, dynamic (40 mm beryllium M-dome), circumaural

Impedance: 35 Ω
Sensitivity: 106 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 120.6 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 3.5 mm cable (1.2 m); 4-pin XLR cable (3 m); 3.5 to 6.35 mm adapter

Matching notes: At 35 Ω and 106 dB/mW, the Focal Stellia is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.3 V (2.5 mW, 8.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 35 Ω rating for the Soloist 3X GT. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (8 W XLR / 4 W SE; 3.8 W XLR / 1.9 W SE) fall either side of it. The Soloist 3X GT’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/70 of the load. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Burson

Burson Soloist 3X GT · Headphone amplifier / preamp (Class-A) · discontinued

Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 10 W / 5 W · 32 Ω 8 W / 4 W · 100 Ω 3.8 W / 1.9 W · 300 Ω 1.3 W / 0.65 W · 600 Ω 0.64 W / 0.32 W
Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 25 Ω (pre out)
Gain: High / Medium / Low; dB not published
Inputs: 2x XLR; 2x RCA; mic bypass
Input impedance: 35 kΩ
Input sensitivity: line level
Outputs: XLR + RCA pre out; RCA subwoofer out; 4-pin XLR + SE headphone
Other: Model R-120X (“GT3”); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-48 kHz

^{[5] [6]}

Burson Conductor 3X Performance · DAC / headphone amplifier / preamp · discontinued

Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 6 W / 3 W · 32 Ω 3 W / 1.5 W · 100 Ω 1 W / 0.5 W · 150 Ω 0.66 W / 0.33 W · 300 Ω 0.33 W / 0.115 W
Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 1 Ω (pre out); 25 Ω (DAC out)
Output voltage: RCA 2 V (DAC out) · XLR not published
Gain: High / Low; dB not published
Inputs: USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink; Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD; microphone
Input impedance: 39 kΩ
Outputs: XLR + RCA pre/DAC out; 6.35 mm + 4-pin XLR headphone
DAC / chipset: ESS ES9038Q2M (x1)
Other: Model M180X (3XP); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-58 kHz

^{[7] [6]}

Also in the system

WiiM Pro · Streamer: network streamer with DAC

Output impedance: not published
Output voltage: RCA not published
Inputs: RCA line in (1 Vrms, 48 kHz/24-bit ADC); Toslink in (192/24); Wi-Fi 5; 10/100 Ethernet; Bluetooth 5.1
Outputs: RCA line out; optical; coaxial (to 384 kHz/32-bit per page, bit-perfect to 192/24)
DAC / chipset: TI Burr-Brown PCM5121
Other: built-in DAC SNR 102 dB, THD+N 0.009%; AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify/TIDAL Connect, Roon Ready; USB-C 5 V power

^[8]

Specs from manufacturer data unless a source below says otherwise. “calc.” values are worked out from those figures (V = √(P × R); 110 dB SPL used as a loud reference level). Gear listed without specs is not in our spec library yet.